EDMONTON -- Counting down the days to Christmas is a holiday tradition. But you can mark the December days with more than chalky chocolate.

There are several local advent calendars available in 2020 that celebrate and support local businesses.

Julie Morrison, owner of Majesty and Friends, a boutique shop in the Highlands neighbourhood, was excited to shake up the traditional approach.  

"COVID has kind of ruined a lot of our plans this year and we gotta find new ways new traditions, new ways to make joy in our lives and this is an adaption," she said.

Morrison collaborated with 12 local artists to create the 12-day Edmonton Pin Advent Calendar.

"Every day, you’re going to open up one of the boxes and you’re going to have a brand-new pin inside, designed by a local Alberta artist," she explained. "It’s going to be so cute for your collars, your toques and your scarves."

There are 100 calendars available for pre-sale.  They will be shipped at the beginning of December.

Miracle and Friends advent calendar pins.

Highlands Liquor has created an advent calendar for craft beer lovers.

The 24-day calendar features tall cans of the store's favourite Alberta craft beers.

Michael Forgie with Blackbox hospitality group, which includes Highlands Liquor, said it features products that have done really well in the last year.

The order is also curated to give people a great beer-drinking experience.

"I remember as a kid eating my chocolates my mom bought me for advent calendar and being excited as I was counting down the days and there’s no reason why adults can’t be excited about the holiday season and have a countdown of their own," Forgie said.

The $110 calendar is currently sold out.  

Alberta beers, Highlands Liquor

The Short Story Advent Calendar from Hingston & Olsen Publishing is back for a sixth year.

It's a collection of 25 individually-bound stories from writers around North America.

As well as offering new stories and introducing people to new authors, the calendar is also creating a sense of community.

"Everyone is reading the same story on the same day, we encourage our readers to chat about it on social media and facilitate conversations," editor and co-publisher Michael Hingston said. "The advent calendar is this fairly rare opportunity I think for people to all be uniting in what they’re reading."

The $60-calendar is sold out online but is available at local book stores including Audreys Books, Glass Bookshop and the Prints and the Paper.  

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Weisberg